Love At First Sight (Southern Bride 1)

“So this is it? You’re giving up on us?”

“East, you and I both know deep down that this was never going to work. You asked me to marry you because you didn’t want us to break up. I said yes because I didn’t know how to say no.”

There was a long pause before he cleared his throat. “Well, I guess it would be hard for me to win your heart not only from Rip, but your whole damn town, as well.” His sharp words felt like a knife in my heart. I had loved this man. I spent the last ten months with him, but now more than ever I knew I wasn’t in love with him.

“I’m sorry, East.”

“Me too, Chloe. You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”

With a slight shake of my head, I replied, “That is another disagreement because I think I’m saving myself from the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Keep the ring. I don’t want it back. Good luck, Chloe.”

Before I had a chance to say anything, he hung up. Jerking the phone from my ear, I stared at it.

“He hung up on me!” I said before losing it laughing. God, it felt so good to laugh about Easton for once instead of crying.

A week had passed since I had spoken to Easton and broken off our engagement. I sent him the ring back, even though he told me to keep it. It didn’t feel right. He sent me a message that he got it back. A four-word text, to be exact.

I got the ring.

I didn’t respond. There was nothing to say.

“Hey, what are you doing today?” Gage asked as he hit my leg with a baseball glove when he walked by.

“Nothing. What are you doing?”

He smiled. “A bunch of us are getting together to play a bit of baseball. Girls against guys. You want to come?”

“You really want your older sister hanging out with you?”

Gage laughed. “All my friends think you’re hot, Chloe. I’m positive they wouldn’t mind.”

With a wide grin, I stood. “Okay, I’ll come. Will there be anyone I know there?”

“I’m not sure. Sometimes a few people who used to be on the baseball team in high school will come in. We play every Tuesday night.”

“Okay, I’ll come. I could use a distraction and a good time.”

When Gage pulled up to the large baseball field, I couldn’t help but smile. The memories of watching both Gage and Rip play here filled my mind.

“You seem a lot happier this week. Why is that?” Gage asked.

I shrugged.

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with that loser you finally got rid of, would it?”

“Why in the world did you and Dad not like him?”

Gage laughed. “That’s easy to answer. He wasn’t Rip.”

I stared, not knowing what to say to that. He gave me a wink and got out of his truck.

I looked around to see if there were any familiar faces. My heart nearly leapt from my chest when I saw Alyssa and Mike.

Thanks goodness I’m not the only older person here.

I jumped out of the truck and made my way to them.

“What’s going on, y’all?”

Alyssa beamed when she saw me, and Mike grinned as well.

“You playing in this little game too, Mike?”

He smiled. “Any time I am asked to play baseball or football, I am there.”

Alyssa and I both laughed.

Two girls walked by us giggling about something. They had to be Gage’s age. “Oh my gosh, I want to squeeze his ass!”

“I want to do him.”

My brows lifted as Alyssa and I watched them walk by. “Who are they talking about?” I asked while we watched the girls join a bigger group of high school-aged girls.

“I have no idea.”

We stepped closer to listen in. How I missed the days of high school. No, that was a lie.

“He’s here tonight. Wait until y’all see him play. I have an orgasm just looking at him.”

I covered my mouth in an attempt not to laugh. Alyssa gagged.

“Good Lord, were we like that in high school?”

“Probably,” I said.

The girls all stopped and sat down. “Really, y’all, he’s six years older than you, do you really think Rip Myers will look twice at you?”

Alyssa bumped my shoulder, and this time we did chuckle. I tried not to look for Rip. Once the girls mentioned him being there, I had to quietly work on keeping my breath under control. The girls were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice me and Alyssa.

“How cute! They have a crush on Rip. Remember those days, Chloe?”

I rolled my eyes. “All too well.”

“He hooked up with Morgan Hicks, you know. She’s younger than him,” one of the girls said.

Alyssa had already headed back to Mike, but I froze in place.

“We all know why he went out with her. She’s an easy lay.”

My stomach twisted.

“That was months ago. I’m eighteen, I think I’ve got a good shot with him. Besides, who would the hottest guy in Oak Springs want to be with other than the hottest woman?”